Operations, administration, and management (OAM) refers to the processes, tools, standards, etc., involved in operating, administrating and maintaining a system. In a network environment, there may exist a large number of networking devices (e.g., switches, routers, security devices, etc.). However, without up-to-date information, it can be challenging to perform any type of network administration.
Network device discovery is a process in which an inventory of devices associated with a network may be determined. Network administrators may utilize various protocols to facilitate the network discovery process.